Alternatives · October 29, 2026
Dragon Professional is a good fit if you control Windows by voice all day. It's a poor fit if you use a Mac or phone, you want AI cleanup and you don't want to spend about $700 up front. Here's every option we track, ranked by how much it improves on Dragon Professional.
Covers every platform, including Linux and a Chrome extension, with optional offline mode and file transcription. There's a trial rather than a free plan.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, Linux support, iPhone support, Android support, typing straight into other apps and AI rewriting.
Gives up: voice commands.
Speech to text in your browser. Live dictation with spoken punctuation, voice commands, a custom vocabulary and AI rewrite modes. Nothing to install.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, Linux support, iPhone support, Android support, AI rewriting and no install.
Gives up: offline dictation and audio file transcription.
Polished cloud dictation with strong AI cleanup and team plans. The most expensive subscription here, and no Linux or offline mode.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, iPhone support, Android support, typing straight into other apps and AI rewriting.
Gives up: offline dictation and audio file transcription.
Runs speech models on your own machine with customizable AI modes. Best on a recent Mac; Windows is still catching up and there's no Android or Linux.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, iPhone support, typing straight into other apps and AI rewriting.
Gives up: Windows support and voice commands.
Free, already installed and good enough for short messages. Accuracy drops on long, technical dictation and there's no AI cleanup.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, iPhone support, typing straight into other apps and no install.
Gives up: Windows support, offline dictation and audio file transcription.
Press Win + H and talk. Free and everywhere on Windows, but basic punctuation and Windows-only.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, typing straight into other apps, AI rewriting and no install.
Gives up: offline dictation and audio file transcription.
Solid free dictation as long as you're writing in Google Docs in Chrome. It doesn't help anywhere else.
Better than Dragon Professional at: a free plan, Mac support, Linux support and no install.
Gives up: typing straight into other apps, offline dictation and audio file transcription.
Checked October 29, 2026. Swipe sideways on a phone to see every app.
| Feature | Dragon Professional | Voicy | DictaroOurs | Wispr Flow | Superwhisper | Apple Dictation | Windows Voice Typing | Google Docs Voice Typing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ||||||||
| Free plan | NoNo trial advertised | LimitedFree trial: 30 minutes of recording | LimitedFree trial: 30 minutes of dictation | LimitedBasic: 2,000 words a week on desktop | YesFree plan with smaller local models | YesBuilt in | YesBuilt in (Win + H) | YesFree with a Google account |
| Paid plans | About $699 one-time (v16, via resellers) | Pro $8.49/mo or $82/yr; $260 lifetime | Pro $7.59/mo or $73/yr; $234 lifetime; Teams $6.09/user/mo | Free Basic; Pro $15/mo or $144/yr | Free; Pro $8.49/mo, $84.99/yr or $249.99 lifetime | Free, built into Apple devices | Free, built into Windows | Free inside Google Docs |
| One-time option | Yes$699 once | Yes$260 once | Yes$234 once | No | Yes$249.99 once | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree |
| Platforms | ||||||||
| Mac | NoNo Mac version since 2018 | Yes | YesChrome, Edge or Safari | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | YesIn Chrome |
| Windows | YesWindows 10 and 11 | Yes | YesChrome or Edge | Yes | LimitedSome features still in development | No | Yes | YesIn Chrome |
| Linux | No | Yes | YesChrome or Edge | No | No | No | No | YesIn Chrome |
| iPhone | NoDragon Anywhere stopped selling July 1, 2026 | Yes | LimitedSafari support varies by iOS version | Yes | YesiPhone and iPad | YesiPhone and iPad | No | NoNot in the Docs mobile app |
| Android | NoDragon Anywhere stopped selling July 1, 2026 | Yes | YesChrome | Yes | No | No | No | NoNot in the Docs mobile app |
| Dictation | ||||||||
| Types into other apps | LimitedFull control in supported apps, Dictation Box elsewhere | YesDesktop apps and a Chrome extension | LimitedCopies to clipboard, sends to Gmail, Outlook, ChatGPT, Claude | YesTypes into any app | Yes | YesAnywhere you can type | YesAny text box | NoGoogle Docs and Slides notes only |
| Works offline | YesRuns on your PC | YesOptional on Mac, Windows and Linux (25 languages) | NoUses your browser's speech service | NoCloud only | YesLocal by default | LimitedSome languages and devices | NoNeeds internet; Voice Access works offline | No |
| AI cleanup and rewriting | NoVoice commands and auto-text instead | YesRewrite Mode and Custom Modes | YesPolish, email, concise, bullets, AI prompt | YesAuto cleanup, Styles, Command Mode | YesCustom AI modes | NoAutomatic punctuation only | LimitedFluid dictation on Copilot+ PCs, English only | No |
| Voice commands | YesDeep voice control and custom commands | Limited | YesSpoken punctuation, new line, scratch that | YesCommand Mode | LimitedThrough custom modes | YesBasic punctuation and editing | YesBasic punctuation and editing | YesPunctuation and editing commands |
| Transcribes audio files | YesSingle-speaker recordings | YesUp to 60 minutes per file | NoLive dictation only | NoNo file uploads | YesOn the Pro plan | No | No | No |
| Nothing to install | NoWindows desktop install | NoDesktop, mobile and Chrome extension | YesNothing to install | NoDesktop and mobile apps | NoDesktop and iOS apps | YesAlready on your device | YesAlready on your PC | YesTools > Voice typing |
YesLimitedNo
Your first 30 minutes are free. No account, no card, nothing to install.
Voicy improves on Dragon Professional in the most areas we compare: a free plan, Mac support, Linux support, iPhone support, Android support, typing straight into other apps and AI rewriting. The right pick depends on your devices, so check the platforms in each entry.
Superwhisper, Apple Dictation, Windows Voice Typing and Google Docs Voice Typing are free to use. Dictaro has a 30-minute free trial in any modern browser.
The most common reasons: you use a Mac or phone, you want AI cleanup and you don't want to spend about $700 up front.
Dictaro is our product. We hold it to the same rows as every other app and list where it falls short. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's site before you buy.